Silent Hill: Family Matters
by Ouroboros452
Summary: When her sister mysteriously disappears after an intense argument, Carol sets off to find her. With the help of several others with similar past experiences with Silent Hill, Carol discovers a terrifying world beyond her own.
1. Chapter 1

**Silent Hill**

**Chapter 1**

(Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill franchise or any of the characters. The Silent Hill franchise is owned by its respective company; this fanfic is purely for entertainment purposes.)

The dashboard was cluttered with papers and numerous writing utensils, some of which rolled to and fro with every turn and stop of the vehicle. Carol paid no heed to them, even when one shortened pencil fell off to thump on her knee, and focused on her driving as best she could with her head so clouded with muddled thoughts. She saw a couple of cars ahead with their brake lights on and slowed down at the intersection, taking the brief respite in driving to reach over to her steaming cup of black coffee and bring it to her lips, shuddering at the liquid ecstasy as it ran down her throat. With her other hand she gave the radio's knob a full twist, a momentary lapse of connection bringing forth nonsensical static before a man's voice chimed through.

"_-field, the time is 11:27 am, the sun is shining and the birds are singing. So if you're not out there soaking up some of that good ol' fashioned UV rays then turn off your radio, step outside and take a deep breath because you are missing one helluva day!"_

Carol plucked one of the papers from the dashboard, bright cobalt eyes scanning over the black and white text.

"_And for a special treat to start off this spectacular day we have the hit new album from Vanessa Carlton, A Thousand Miles. Beautiful looks, personality and a voice to match; she'll go far in life, no doubt about that. Decide for yourself if you think that's true, faithful listeners, and prick your ears to this."_

Piano music filtered into the enclosed space of the car, though Carol was only interested in the piece of literature before her.

_Making my way downtown  
Walking fast  
Faces passed  
And I'm homebound_

_Staring blankly ahead  
Just making my way  
Making my way  
Through the crowd_

The front coverage story was of a man, Henry Townshend, found in his apartment beaten half to death and suffering from severe dehydration. The man had said that he had been drawn into an alternate realm by the former serial killer, Walter Sullivan, who was responsible for several deaths, two of which included two children. The police had responded that while there have been a rise in homicides which resemble the killer's identifying killing mark, the carving of numbers into the victims' chest, they assured the public that it was merely a copycat killer and that Walter Sullivan was most definitely dead.

_And I need you  
And I miss you  
And now I wonder…_

_If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think time  
Would pass me by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you  
Tonight_

While they were unsure of what exactly happened to the man, the hospital has revealed that the man had made a remarkable recovery, as did a similarly afflicted woman by the name of Eileen Galvin, who had also been a victim of a brutal attack. Both had been released three days ago and, according to the staff, seemed to have developed some sort of romantic relationship, judging by their closeness and visible affection for one another.

_It's always times like these  
When I think of you  
And I wonder  
If you ever  
Think of me_

'_Cause everything's so wrong  
And I don't belong  
Living in your  
Precious memories_

She took another sip of her beverage and tossed the newspaper back haphazardly on the dashboard, reaching out again to snatch up a new one. The front page was dated for a few weeks ago, about the homicide of a man named Harry Mason, found dead by his daughter in his living room, multiple stab wounds afflicted onto his person. The homicide happened in the nearby town of Halesville, where the single father and his seventeen year old daughter had been staying for all their lives. The daughter was questioned for any possible leads but she refused to cooperate with local authorities, except for one instance where the teenager, Heather Mason, abruptly told the police and public to go to Silent Hill to find his killer. She has since refused anymore interviews.

_And I need you  
And I miss you  
And now I wonder…_

_If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think time  
Would pass me by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you  
Tonight_

Carol laid the paper down on her lap and drunk thoughtfully. The trend of killings in Ashfield and Greenfield were suspicious in their own right but what really interested her was the fact that all of the cases had something to do with that town. She had dug up information about Walter Sullivan and found that he had attended the orphanage near Toluca Lake, the Wish House. Toluca Lake was right in the middle of Silent Hill and she had heard rumors that there was some sort of ancient Indian burial ground there or something similar. Then he had started those killings; carving strange numbers into their chest that seemed to be random, the ramblings of a deranged serial killer. But she had looked closely and noticed that they spelled out something. For instance, the tenth victim would have the numbers 10121 carved into their body, which actually meant ten out of twenty-one.

_And I, I  
Don't want to let you go  
I, I  
Drown in your memory  
I, I  
Don't want to let this go  
I, I  
Don't…_

_Making my way downtown  
Walking fast  
Faces passed  
And I'm homebound_

Carol stared out her window, fingers tapping against the cup. Walter Sullivan was arrested after his tenth victim and committed suicide in his cell, his weapon being a rusty spoon. Yet, a few years later the murders sprung right back up again, only this time the first victim had the numbers 12121 carved into their body, which effectively meant that the murderer had skipped out on the eleventh victim. Unless, of course, Walter was somehow the eleventh victim himself and someone else was really just copying out his methods. But the strangest part was when she heard of Eileen's hospitalization with the numbers 20121 carved into her upper back. She hadn't died but she had come close numerous times throughout her stay, only coming back from the brink of death with something beyond the staff's capabilities, something almost paranormal.

_Staring blankly ahead  
Just making my way  
Making my way  
Through the crowd_

_It's always times like these  
When I think of you  
And I wonder  
If you ever  
Think of me_

Then at about the same time Eileen woke from her trauma-induced coma, Mr. Townshend had sprung up after the superintendent of their apartment complex had admitted to have not seen him for a week, beaten and bloody. Then there was the matter of their inexplicable closeness during their stay in hospital, as if they had both been through something traumatic and grateful to be away from. But that was impossible; the superintendent said that while they were on friendly terms before the attacks, they rarely spoke to each other save for a polite and formal greeting, so why would they suddenly become close friends and more after having no contact with each other for more than a week? Something didn't add up there. And of course, then there was the matter of Harry Mason's untimely death, which seemed to have no connection to the Sullivan murders.

'_Cause everything's so wrong  
And I don't belong  
Living in your  
Precious memories_

_And I still need you  
And I still miss you  
And now I wonder…_

His daughter had said that they would find the answers to his mysterious death at Silent Hill, the place where Walter had been raised. Call her paranoid but there was definitely something wrong with that place. Hell, even the name sounded like something out of a Stephen King novel, not a friendly tourist resort. The local authorities may have been forbidden to investigate the town due to regulations and rules but, as a member of the public, she was not bound by such regulations and was free to snoop as long as she stayed within the confines of the law. And snoop she most certainly will. Carol had taken a leave from work for about two weeks so she would have to work fast to find out the truth of what Silent Hill really was all about. It was the only way for her to find out about her sister. Carol's first step would be Mr. Townshend and Ms. Galvin's doorsteps in South Ashfield Heights, their apartment complex.

_If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think time  
Would pass me by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you…_

_If I could fall  
Into the sky  
Do you think time  
Would pass me by  
'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles  
If I could  
Just see you  
If I could  
Just hold you  
Tonight_

The car behind her honked loudly, startling the woman and making her spill lukewarm coffee all over her newspaper and skirt, soaking right through into her legs. She exclaimed in shock and tried to wipe the liquid away.

"Shit…"

The car honked again and she waved an irritated hand.

"Alright! Alright! God…"

Shaking her head and blowing air through her nostrils in exasperation, Carol pressed her foot against the accelerator and drove through the intersection, casting a quick glance at the street sign.

_South Ashfield Heights Dr._


	2. Chapter 2

**Silent Hill**

**Chapter 2**

Carol rapped her knuckles against the door, the sound echoing in the blank hallway. Clutching her purse a little bit tighter to her side, she stole a glance to the wall behind her and felt an involuntary shiver run up her spine. She didn't know why but that wall felt… wrong somehow. Somehow… it felt dirty. Shaking her head she quickly perked up when she heard muffled footsteps approach the door, self-consciously smoothing back her hair to make herself seem as presentable as possible. The footsteps stopped right at the door and she felt the chilling sensation of being watched. Her gaze travelled to the peephole and she leaned forward a bit, trying to squint into it.

"Mr. Townshend?"

The door clicked and creaked open, giving view to the man in the newspaper articles, looking a little disheveled and bleary-eyed as if had just woke up. He rubbed one eye and looked her up and down.

"Um… yes?"

She shifted her purse higher and held out her right hand. "Hello, it's nice to meet you Mr. Townshend."

His hand drifted down as he stared questioningly at her, taking her smaller hand in his other. "Who are you?"

"Carol. Carol Gates. I'm here because of your involvement with the Sullivan cases; I was hoping to ask a few questions about"

He suddenly looked irritated and his handshake went limp.

"I already told you people that I don't want any more interviews. I'm sorry you wasted your time but-"

She panicked as he went to close the door and placed her high heel in the doorway.

"No wait! Please, I'm not a reporter. I just need to know about what you experienced during that week you went missing. It's important…"

He scrutinized her with an intense gaze, hand gripping the half-closed door. With a sigh, he pushed the door wide open and waved his hand at her.

"Come in."

Carol exhaled in relief and smiled warmly. "Thank you."

She entered his apartment, noticing that the living room was filled with numerous cardboard boxes, each holding a few household appliances. He must have been getting ready to leave. It was a good thing she got here before he did so or she'd lose her only chance at knowing the truth. The couch was cluttered with boxes so she took a seat at the kitchen counter, watching as Henry shut the door and came over to take a seat at the opposite side of the counter, leaning his elbows against the surface and fixing her with an expectant stare.

"What do you want to know?"

She took a deep breath.

"Well… I suppose I want to know what everybody wants to know: what happened to you during that week you were missing?"

He shrugged.

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

His left eyebrow rose. "Okay then. Several or so days ago I woke up to find that I couldn't escape my apartment; someone had locked me in."

Carol looked to the door then to the windows. She turned back and pointed at them. "Couldn't you have just…?"

Henry shook his head. "They wouldn't break or open no matter what I did. No one could see or hear me either, no matter how much I screamed and banged. Same for the door; sturdy and immovable, like steel. And someone had chained it up from the inside as well."

She raised her eyebrows.

"Chained?"

"Like… there were lots of chains and padlocks holding the door shut from the inside. I know it sounds weird but that's what happened."

She nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"So anyway, I was locked in. No way of escaping. It was like that for five days, during which I didn't get hungry or thirsty or anything. Some people think that would be a good thing but I had the dreadful feeling that I would just continue the rest of my life in that room with nobody around. I would've gone insane with that thought alone, never mind the nightmares that began haunting me."

"Nightmares?"

He nodded, eyes going dark as he recalled some malicious memory.

"Yeah. Real bad ones. They were always the same ones; about a man who lived here before me. My… well, his apartment was rusted and covered in blood, the dream was so real I could smell and feel everything. But after a while, a strange indentation in the wall began pulling itself out. It was a ghost… a former victim of Walter Sullivan. The ghost went to touch him but that's where the dream would always end and I'd wake up, the worst feeling clawing at my stomach."

Henry looked off to the side, out the window, a distant look in his eyes.

"The sixth day was when everything changed. Some writing appeared on my door, right under the peephole. It said 'Don't go out!' and it was signed by Walter."

She licked her lips, leaning forwards in interest. "So… was it him? Sullivan?"

He looked back and nodded.

"Yeah. It was him. But after that, there was a loud bang that came from my bathroom and went I went to investigate, I found a large hole next to the mirror. I know it sounds strange but it was definitely a hole, like something a prisoner would make in a prison movie. It was wide enough to fit me and… I know it probably wasn't the smartest thing to go into a mysterious hole that just showed up but at that time I would've jumped at any chance of getting out. So I crawled through and I… I sort of blacked out for a minute because next thing I knew I was on an escalator leading down into the subway. The one right outside on the street from here."

Henry cast his gaze to his counter, speaking with a more solemn tone.

"I met a woman down there, Cynthia Velasquez. She was convinced that her being there was all a dream and that she would wake up soon."

He sighed, looking very upset.

"A while later, she got sick and had to go to the bathroom. She went in and I waited for her to come out. It had to be at least two minutes before the opposite bathroom door creaked open and a… a…"

He shook his head, his eyes meeting hers.

"Well it sort of looked like a rotting dog with a long tongue. I nicknamed them Sniffer dogs since that seemed to be how they found their way around. They didn't… I don't think they had eyes. But yeah… one of those dogs came out and died, I think it was having a fight with the other two dogs that came through and lost. As they started eating its corpse I panicked and went inside the ladies' bathroom to find Cynthia. She wasn't there; it was like she just vanished into thin air. The only thing that was of any interest was a larger hole in the wall with strange red markings running around the edge. It looked like the only place she could have gone so I went in. I blacked out again halfway towards a light and then I woke up inside my apartment again."

Carol blinked. She was shocked and a little nervous about this seemingly made up story that could have only been dreamt up by a madman but Henry didn't look the part and he displayed such genuine emotion that he couldn't have possibly been purposely lying. He had been gone for an entire week though, but…

"Henry, didn't anyone notice your disappearance? What about the other tenants, your friends, somebody?"

He looked away, flushing a bit.

"I… I don't have any friends. My parents died a few years ago, my only other remaining family members are too far away and… the other tenants wouldn't have noticed me, I had always been too withdrawn and shy to get to know anyone."

She couldn't imagine living a life as isolated as that. It seemed so… sad.

"Nobody noticed?"

Light green eyes came back to her.

"Well… Eileen sort of noticed. She wasn't outright suspicious or anything but… she noticed. Another tenant, Richard Braintree, noticed too since I once caught him stalking outside my room but I think it was because Eileen told him about it. She's friendly with everybody who lives here; she's a real nice person to know."

His cheeks flared a little when he said that. Carol thought that was kind of cute and wondered how their relationship was right now. Blinking herself out of her thoughts, she shifted in her chair.

"But sorry, I interrupted you."

He shrugged off her apology with a reassuring smile.

"So I woke up in bed and I was about to write it off as another bad dream until my phone rang. It was really disturbing since the cord had been cut and the only phone call I could make was the number on the pizza advertisement board outside my bedroom window. And that's a number I never want to phone again. So I picked it up and heard Cynthia on the other end, sounding really scared and out of breath, asking where I disappeared to. I tried to tell her that she was the one who vanished but she was panicking and said that she was in trouble. She said she had left some subway tokens in the bathroom and begged me to come help her. I couldn't stand just sitting there and letting someone die so I went back in the hole to help. Arrived in the bathroom and almost had a heart attack when I found a bloody mannequin that looked a lot like Cynthia sitting in one of the stalls holding the tokens."

Carol shuddered.

"I took them, ran past the dogs and arrived at the turnstiles. I went down some stairs where I encountered my first ghost."

He shivered and unconsciously pressed a hand to his temple.

"They couldn't be killed and they made you feel like your head was being smashed against the pavement every time you went near them. I ran past them and went down to the subway trains, where Cynthia had apparently trapped herself in one of the carriages. I managed to get her out and we tried to escape the ghosts that had started to spring up but… I don't know, somewhere along the way I just lost track of her. She was gone again. A while later her voice came over the speakers, saying that she found an exit and urged me to hurry up to the speaker booth."

She noticed that he started to tense up and he took a deep breath to steady himself.

"There was… When I got there, there was so much blood. She was lying right in the middle of it; beaten and stabbed and… and the numbers 16121 were carved into her chest. I didn't have any medical tools or anything so I… I just held her until she passed away."

Carol was holding her breath during the whole story and let it out as silently as she could, afraid to disrupt the tension that had accumulated in the air, as unwelcome as it was. He looked so upset and heartbroken that she wanted to reach out and hug him. Her skepticism of his tale was considerably lessened now that she had seen the sheer emotion she sensed in his tone and body language. There was no way he was lying.

So that meant he really had been locked in his apartment by the ghost of Walter Sullivan; something supernatural had been the cause of the murders in Ashfield. She had never really believed in the paranormal and she was an atheist but this reeked of otherworldly properties. Scared but more curious than she had ever been in her entire life she pressed forward.

"But why here? Why would Walter target you?"

He glanced up in surprise.

"You mean you believe me?"

She nodded.

"It's… It's really messed up but it makes more sense than any other theory I've heard the media say."

Henry blinked a couple of times before looking away, letting out a sound of astonishment and running a hand through his hair.

"To be honest I didn't expect you to believe me. I mean, sometimes even I have trouble believing it when I sit down and just… just think about how normal everything is compared to those other worlds. If it weren't for Eileen and the news about the murders I might've just thought that it was all a realistic hallucination."

He smiled at her.

"Thank you."

She blushed and smiled back shyly. After a moment he lost his smile and went back to his thoughtful state.

"But to answer your question: Walter didn't target me specifically. He had some sort of connection to almost all his victims but I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. This…"

He waved his right arm to sweep it across the room.

"This was the apartment he was born in."

Carol's eyes widened and she cast her gaze over the area, feeling a little exposed and agitated. She had thought the atmosphere of the apartment was a little unwelcoming at first but now it felt downright eerie; how did he manage to live here for as long as he did?

"He was born right here? What about his parents?"

He shrugged.

"They didn't want him. They left him here in such a rush he still had his umbilical cord when the superintendent found him."

Disgust filled her chest and she could barely hold back an angered scowl. How could people do that? Just up and leave their own flesh and blood like they were nothing. She grimly noted that that was most likely a factor in Walter's serial killing career.

"He was sent to Wish House orphanage in Silent Hill, located in the woods near Toluca Lake. There, he was taught about The Order, the Silent Hill cult."

Carol narrowed her eyes.

"Cult?"

"I'm not too sure about the entire thing but I can safely say that it is probably the worst religious group I have ever heard of. I know people would probably say that I'm being intolerant but trust me; you would say the same thing. And Walter was only taught a branch of the cult, yet that alone was enough to create alternate dimensions and grant him the power to resurrect an ancient demon. It was called the Sect of the Holy Mother and they brainwashed Walter into performing the 21 Sacraments to resurrect their god using something called their Mother Stone. Walter was chosen to be the Conjurer and he committed ten murders and took their hearts before allegedly being captured. That wasn't him; it was someone else, not sure who. But the real Walter escaped to come to this apartment and performed the Holy Assumption, where he killed himself in that secret room."

Henry pointed down the hallway and Carol had to crane her neck to see a large hole within the end of the hallway. A cold feeling ran down her spine and she looked back at Henry. Her terror must have been visible on her face as Henry shook his head.

"Body's not there anymore; just the tools he used and a puddle of sludge. Stinks like hell though."

She placed a hand to her forehead.

"Sorry, it's just so much to take in. All this paranormal stuff and the murders and this Silent Hill cult… God, I've been to Silent Hill and it always seemed so peaceful and relaxing."

He nodded and motioned to a picture hanging above his couch.

"That's Toluca Lake. I took a photo of that and the Balkan church last time I went there; they both seemed so beautiful and inspiring."

She studied the framed photograph and turned back.

"Impressive. You're a photographer?"

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, flushing again.

"Yeah… Everyone's always said that I had an eye for beauty but it's not as hard as everyone thinks. Sometimes you just have to look beyond what you can already see."

Carol was about to ask him about more about his experience when the door clicked and creaked open. She recognized the young woman as Eileen Galvin, carrying a newspaper and a can of soda. Carol noticed that she had a large bruise around her right eye and a small scar running down her lip, the markings more obvious with the woman's tanned skin. She glanced up from the newspaper, full lips curving into a happy smile before her eyes went from Henry to Carol and the expression died down instantly. She stood in the doorway, eyes flickering from her to Henry before settling on the former.

"Henry… who's this?"

While Carol shifted uneasily under the intense stare, Henry visibly brightened and sat up straight.

"Eileen, this is Carol. Carol, Eileen. She's interested in what happened to us back in Walter's worlds."

The other woman's expression soured even further.

"Oh god… Look we told you guys that we don't want any more interviews so why can't you just leave us the-"

Henry frantically held out his hands, as if he was expecting her to suddenly lunge over and pull Carol's hair. Though it was safe to say that Carol was also half-expecting her to do exactly that.

"No, wait! She's not with the media and she believes what we've been through."

Eileen gave her a few more seconds of examination before slowly shutting the door behind her and making her way over to them, grabbing an extra seat and seating herself beside Henry. The newspaper and soda were placed on the counter with a rustle and a sharp clink. Carol noticed that the page was laid out on apartment buildings with a few circles labeling a select few in red marker.

"Why do you think we're telling the truth?"

Carol put on what she hoped was a harmless smile.

"I never believed that whole copycat story about the latest murder victims and after a bit of studying I found out that Walter had stayed at the Wish House orphanage in Silent Hill. And you know about that murder in Greenfield? About the guy named Harry Mason? Well, his daughter said something about finding the truth in Silent Hill and I figured that there just had to be a connection between that and the murders here. And I was right! From what Henry told me, Walter Sullivan had performed some screwed up satanic ritual in an effort to bring his cult's god to life!"

Eileen seemed a little less suspicious as her posture significantly relaxed.

"Okay, then. So you do believe us. Although the real reason Walter did that ritual crap was because he believed he would be reunited with his mother. Apparently I was supposed to be the host body and Henry was supposed to be someone called 'The Receiver of Wisdom.' Luckily he managed to beat Walter before he could sacrifice me and pretty much saved the world."

He blushed and nervously laughed a little.

"I wouldn't say the entire world-"

"Oh come on, Henry! You saved the entire world from a god and no one even cares! No one cares what happened to us because nobody believes us! Freaking dumbasses…"

Carol wholeheartedly agreed with that statement and felt a pang of sympathy for these two people: the only survivors of a nightmarish event brought on by the spirit of a serial killer and his cult. And to think that they had to keep this bottled up because people would most likely lock them up in the loony bin if they tried to tell the truth.

"So why do you care anyway?"

She snapped herself alert and noticed them staring at her.

"Sorry, what was that?"

Eileen gestured towards her.

"Why are you so interested in what happened to us?"

Carol looked down for a moment, fiddling with her purse.

"I… A few months ago my sister ran away. She was born near Silent Hill so I thought that she might have gone there and I've… I've looked there for ages but I haven't been able to find her. Her name was Angela Orosco and… well, technically she's my half-sister but I love her like we were full sisters. I've been worried sick about her just not knowing where she is and what happened to her. She wasn't very mentally stable and had depression so I'm worried that she might've…"

She sighed and felt an aching tiredness creep into her joints as she buried her face in her right hand, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"The police can't find her and they said they can't search for her properly if I'm not entirely sure if she really is there but… but I _know_ she's there somewhere. I just know it! So then I heard about the murders and connections to Silent Hill and thought that maybe, just maybe someone might have seen her. If you guys hadn't seen her then I would've gone to Greenfield to ask Harry's daughter if she'd seen her. Then…"

Carol shrugged hopelessly.

"I don't know that's as far as I've thought. But from what you've told me, maybe she's involved with the cult somehow and in trouble. So… so I'm asking you: have you seen my sister during your visits to Silent Hill? She looks just like me except her hair only goes to her shoulders and she looks younger; she's only nineteen."

Henry and Eileen both exchanged looks before turning back to her with sympathetic expressions. Carol could already feel her heart plummet even before they said anything.

"Sorry but I haven't been to Silent Hill for over a year."

Eileen shook her head.

"About ten years for me."

She sighed and tried to keep herself from crying out of frustration. She gave them a grateful smile.

"Well… thanks anyway. And you've given me a lot of valuable information about the town so maybe that'll come in handy someday. I… I really am sorry about what happened to you two and if there's anything I can do to help then-"

Henry held his hand out. "Wait, wait, wait! Frank said his son and wife frequently visit Silent Hill right?"

Eileen thought for a moment then nodded. "Hey, yeah! Frank also said his son came back just like a day ago so maybe he knows something!"

She knew she shouldn't have been getting her hopes up so quickly but Carol could not help the smile that spread across her face.

"You really think so?!"

"Could be; he said James was someone who never forgot a face so-"

Carol lunged forwards to wrap them both in a hug. She didn't normally hug people but she was just so ecstatic at having a lead again that she had to express it in some physical act. She felt Henry and Eileen stiffen but they still gave her awkward pats on the back. She was sure they were giving each other creeped out glances over her shoulders and pulled away, embarrassed at her actions. Trying to maintain some sort of professional air she cleared her throat and brushed her hair back shyly.

"Um… what I meant to say was thank you. Both of you."

Henry seemed too flustered to speak and merely smiled as Eileen recovered faster.

"Uh, no problem. I gotta admit it's nice to have someone else believe us; you have no idea how frustrating it is to have to keep all this to yourself and pretend that nothing ever happened. That's why me and Henry are moving to another apartment. There are just too many bad memories here."

Henry nodded his head to the hallway.

"Not to mention the smell of decay that wafts by every time I go to bed or the bathroom. I've asked Frank to board up this room after we leave. He doesn't really believe our experience but I think he senses how wrong this room feels too."

Carol nodded then got to her feet.

"Well, um, as I said if there's anything you need help with I'll be glad to do so. Is Mr. Sunderland downstairs?"

Eileen gave a single bob of her head.

"Yeah, just saw him go into his office. It was nice meeting you and I hope you find your sister."

The two stood up as well and exchanged handshakes, Henry looking much less red than before.

"Just be careful out there, okay? The Order most likely has people in high places and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't want their secrets to be exposed."

Carol grinned with a shrug.

"I can look after myself; if they want to mess with me then they better get ready for a fight."

Her thoughts back to the stun gun and pepper spray in her purse.

'_Yeah, I'm not going down without a fight if it comes to it…'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Silent Hill**

**Chapter 3**

The interior of the office was well-organized and clean, which Carol appreciated as she sat down in front of Frank's desk, the man himself lounging back in his slightly creaky one as he pushed a few errant papers aside. She noticed a framed picture near the corner of his desk, showing a handsome, younger Frank, a beautiful blonde woman and a cute little boy, golden locks dangling in front of his cheery blue eyes.

"So, Miss Gates, what is it that you needed?"

She sat up straight and cleared her throat.

"I understand that your son, James, has returned from Silent Hill."

He nodded and narrowed his eyes a bit.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Henry Townshend and Eileen Galvin told me; I was just talking to them about their experiences with the murders a few minutes ago."

He hummed in his throat and adjusted himself in his seat.

"I see. And what is it that you want with him?"

She realized how strange it must have been for a woman to question a parent about their child when they just returned a day ago and put up another harmless smile.

"I'm sorry, I should explain myself. My sister ran away to Silent Hill a few months ago and I haven't been able to find her since. So I was hoping that maybe your son or his wife might have seen her on their visits there."

Frank seemed to relax but at the same time his expression grew pained.

"I'm afraid it's just him now. Mary, his wife, died two weeks ago from a rare tropical disease, incurable. Such a sweet, kind person; didn't deserve to suffer like that. But she's in a better place now; at least we can take comfort in that."

"He must have really loved her."

He nodded, eyes glistening a bit.

"Oh, he did. They went everywhere together. During her stay in hospital she told James that she wanted to a little orphan girl that had attended St. Jerome's as well. Unfortunately, she died before he could finalize the papers. He brought her over yesterday; cutest little thing I've ever seen in my life, said her name was Laura."

A sigh escaped him as he thought back to happier times before abruptly shaking his head and blinking away tears.

"Oh, but I'm sorry, I trailed off there. But he said he had just come back from Silent Hill so I suppose there's a chance he might've seen your sister. But he was so apathetic yesterday that I'm not sure he would want to speak to anyone right now."

Fearful at losing her only lead, Carol pressed on.

"Please Mr Sunderland, this is important; she's my only living relative left and it's driving me crazy not knowing her fate."

He studied her for a moment before relenting, picking up a piece of paper and a pen and writing something down.

"Just try not to remind him about Mary."

Carol let out a breath of relief and reached over to take the offered paper.

"Thank you Mr Sunderland I-"

She jolted and let out a squeak when there was a sharp cracking sound and her eyes darted over to see the framed picture lying face-down. Guilt ran through as she thought she had done something to disturb it but Frank merely groaned and got out of his chair.

"Damn desk. Wobbles every time there's the smallest bit of movement."

Carol bent down to pick it up when she heard Frank's back creak in protest, wincing when she saw the tiny bits of glass clink when she lifted the picture and turned it over to survey the damage. Hairline cracks raced out from the edges to gather at James' chubby face, where a small section had fallen out to leave him exposed to the air. For some strange reason, Carol felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she handed Frank the photo. The old man squinted at the picture then exhaled with a shake of his head.

"Well that's a damn shame; we took this back on that fishing trip when James caught himself a snapper."

She nodded.

"Yeah…"

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Carol noticed that James' house was a few blocks away from her own and couldn't help but smirk at the coincidence as stopped at another intersection. She appeared calm on the outside but inside she could feel a whole heap of thoughts whirling around wildly upon discovering this new information. Her thoughts mostly consisted of the startled realization that the paranormal really did exist and that there are things out there that science could not explain. It chilled her to think of a cult that allowed someone to create such a nightmarish reality and wondered just how far this religious group was spread. Were there members in Ashfield or was it only just in Silent Hill?

And exactly what did this cult worship? Henry said that the sect of The Holy Mother was only a branch of the main group; which probably meant it was much worse than the one he and Eileen had gone through. But worse how? Eyeless dogs with mosquito-like proboscises and ghosts which give you intense migraines from merely being near them; what could be worse than that? What if Angela was involved with all of this? The poor girl was already mentally unstable and depressed from her hellish family life and had only just begun recovering. If she was stuck in a world like that…

Carol shook her head. Thinking like that would only stress her out and wouldn't help her sister in any way. Suddenly sick of the silence in her car, Carol leaned over to switch the radio on.

"_-fourteenth caller than you could be in a chance to win a brand new Xbox for your gaming pleasure. So remember listeners: the fourteenth person who phones in and correctly answers the question will receive a sleek, beautiful Xbox."_

The man stopped and a false crowd cheer echoed over the speakers.

"_Alright, alright, calm down you pack of wild dogs, I'm getting to it. Now listeners; here's the question…"_

Carol raised an eyebrow as static erupted over the man's voice. She wasn't interested in the contest but she enjoyed the music the channel played so she reached over to fiddle with the dials, frowning in concentration as she kept one eye on the traffic lights.

"… _was the name of the woman who starred in… ockbuster movie… are you…"_

She stopped and twirled to face the radio full on, her hand frozen on the tuning dial. Slowly, she turned it back.

"… _you… said you'd always… Carol…"_

Her eyes widened.

"_Carol… always be there for… can't find you… go… so lonely here…"_

The voice was almost drowned out by static but just under that she could hear the sound of something being sharpened.

"_Carol… me… Angela… trust him… murderer… Greenfield… go to… field-"_

The car behind her blared its horn and Carol almost had a heart attack as she snapped back in her seat, heart beating wildly and breaths coming in short pants.

"Uh, um, s-sorry! Sorry!"

With a shaky exhale, she drove forwards until she was away from the intersection before quickly turning the tuning dial again.

"_-we have our winner! Congratulations to our fourteenth caller who is now the proud owner of an Xbox! Fourteenth caller, how do you feel?"_

Carol let out a sound of annoyance as some excited teenager rambled on about how awesome and sick it was to win and turned the radio off altogether. That voice before… it sounded just like her sister. But that was impossible; how did she get on the radio? It must have been another channel with bad reception or she had just imagined it. She had been under a lot of stress lately.

'_Yeah that's it… I'm just tired and I'm hearing things. It was nothing… it was nothing…'_

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Carol knocked on the third door today, her excitement making her knock a little too hard and turning her knuckles a little red. She heard footsteps sound a moment later and the door click open, revealing a blonde man with slightly unruly hair but rugged looks. He looked as if he had just gotten up and wondered if waking up late was a natural guy thing.

"Umm…"

He squinted at the noon light and rubbed his eyes.

"Hello?"

She smiled warmly and offered her hand.

"James Sunderland? I'm Carol Gates; your father gave me your address."

He blinked hard and took her hand in a firm but stiff handshake. "Um… hi?"

She retracted her hand, slightly put off by his lethargic demeanour. "I'm sorry to wake you but my sister has gone missing and I was wondering if you've seen her."

"Sister?" He frowned in thought. "What does she look like?"

"Well, she's my half-sister so we don't really look the same but she has my nose, her hair is dark and shoulder-length and she was wearing a beige sweater and red pants."

He blinked slowly and his eyes narrowed. "What… what's her name?"

"Angela. Angela Orosco."

His weary eyes shot wide open and he went stiff as a board. Startled by the sudden change in behaviour, Carol took a nervous step back.

"Orosco?"

The familiarity in his tone made her heart leap in hope.

"Y-yes! You've seen her?!"

James glanced around before biting his lower lip and stepping aside.

"Yes, I've seen her. You might want to come inside."

Grateful, Carol quickly walked inside into a corridor with a staircase up ahead and two open doorways on either wall, leading to the living room and a dining room. She entered the living room and sat down on the couch while James sat down on a lounging chair, suddenly looking very anxious and uncomfortable. She patiently waited for him to say something. He was wringing his hands together when he looked up at her.

"Look… before I say anything I have to know. Can you keep… can I trust you not to go to the police?"

Carol blinked, looking down at her feet.

"I… I don't… Why?"

He sucked his teeth and sighed.

"I'm sorry but I have to know."

She felt a little fearful now that she was in his home all alone but she didn't think she had a right to go to the police; not when she had just as much to answer for as James seemed to have. So she looked back up and nodded. James relaxed seemed to relax a bit but was still tense and agitated. Nevertheless, he gave a slow nod in response and clasped his hands together, turning to look straight ahead.

"Okay… okay. Now… what I'm going to tell you might sound… weird but it's the truth; keep that in mind, alright?"

"You don't have to worry about that."

He briefly glanced at her with a questioning eyebrow raised before turning back.

"Three years ago my wife, Mary, took ill. The doctors said it was… well, I don't remember the actual name but it was sort of like a mutated strain of bronchitis; really deadly and impossible to treat if you don't get in early enough. The disease causes the person's body to deteriorate horrifically, so Mary started to believe herself to be… to be disgusting to look at. Whenever I went over and tried to keep her hopes up she would lash out at me. I knew it wasn't her fault… the disease was just taking its toll on her. But it still hurt… so I guess that's why I never visited her much as the years went on. Of course that only made it worse during the times I did visit her."

James paused for a while; eyes clouding over as he focused on nothing in particular. Carol struggled not to hurry him up and remained silent. After what seemed like an hour of just sitting there, he blinked and clarity returned to his gaze. He seemed embarrassed by the pause but continued on anyway.

"It drove me to drink… to get away from my problems. Half those three years I can't even remember because of that. I… I questioned the doctors about Mary; said they couldn't find a cure and the best they could do was to make sure she was comfortable during her final hours."

He scoffed bitterly, eyebrows drawing together to accentuate his scowl.

"Comfortable. How do you make someone who's about to die comfortable? But I did what I could; I brought her back home and put her back to bed, she pretty much lacked the strength to walk around."

His bottom lip trembled ever so slightly but with a hard squeeze of his eyes he continued on.

"I… I must have had some sort of breakdown during the last few days I was taking care of her. I just couldn't handle seeing her suffer, having to constantly watch out for her and living with her mood swings. So… one day I just… I just waited until she fell asleep and… and…"

He didn't need to say anymore. And though Carol was understandably shocked and horrified by the realization, she grimly admitted she could honestly see his reasons for doing so.

"I… I understand."

James' eyes narrowed at her.

"No you don't."

"No, I truly understand how you must have felt during that time; the same thing happened to me when Angela…"

Carol never liked revealing things about her personal life but James seemed to have dug up some information about Angela for she could practically see him making the connections in his head.

"Angela stayed with you after murdering her father when she was seventeen, didn't you?"

She sighed.

"I was the only one she trusted. I couldn't turn her in, not with her fragile state of mind. I understand what it's like to constantly care for someone so I can't completely blame you for what you did. Plus, if I were to turn you in I'd run the risk of you talking about me harboring her."

Though he seemed amused by the idea he didn't deny the claim.

"Well… I've talked to her and scavenged some information in Silent Hill about what happened to her and I can't actually blame her for doing that. Being abused like that for ten years. It's horrible."

James shook his head.

"But enough about me; I'm sure you must be wondering how I met her."

She nodded.

"Well, after… doing what I did I drove to Silent Hill to… hell, I don't even know anymore. Clear my head, I guess. But I kinda went further into my insanity along the way and convinced myself that Mary had already been dead for several years and that I received a letter from her, asking me to come to our special place. You know, Silent Hill. I arrived at the lookout place over Toluca Lake and took a nature trail to end up in the cemetery in South Vale. And that's where I met Angela."

She looked at him hopefully.

"When did all of this happen?"

"Two weeks ago. But look…"

He sighed.

"She… she's trapped in her own personal nightmare, I tried to help but she didn't want me to."

Carol understood his hidden meaning.

"She's my sister. She trusts me; I'm sure I can get through to her. But… but if she's trapped in her own nightmare than that might explain why I haven't been able to find her."

She looked to him desperately, leaning forwards in her seat.

"How do I get to this… this Otherworld?"

He turned away for a moment to sigh before returning her gaze with a shake of his head.

"You can't travel to it willingly. You have to have done something in your life that the town can use to corrupt you; for me it was Mary, for Angela it was her father. I don't know you well but I'm sure you haven't done anything of that sort."

Carol looked down to her feet, hands clenching.

"And even if you could… I wouldn't recommend it. That town is beyond evil, Carol; I barely made it out of there. I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone and-"

She shot her head up, glaring heatedly.

"She's. My. Sister."

He shifted in his seat, nervously.

"Look, I-"

"James?"

Carol swiveled her head in surprise. Standing in the doorway was a small blonde girl with a pair of startlingly green eyes, one pale eyebrow raised as her gaze switched from her to James. Suddenly embarrassed by her outburst, Carol cleared her throat and sat back on the couch as James addressed who she assumed was Laura.

"Hey there, kiddo. How are you?"

She looked at Carol and then back to James.

"Oh, um, this is Carol; she's a friend of mine. She just dropped by for a little visit. Say hi."

Laura turned her gaze back to her.

"Hi... Carol."

She smiled kindly and nodded.

"Hey, Laura. Me and your dad were just talking about old times. Boring stuff, you wouldn't be interested."

The young girl gave a small nod as she started to turn towards the staircase.

"He's not really my dad."

She walked out of sight. Carol, a bit shocked by the response, turned to James, who had a pained look on his face. The room was permeated by tense silence before he met her gaze and gave a weak smile.

"She still doesn't trust me. I don't blame her."

Another moment of silence before he softly clasped his hands.

"But anyway, that's pretty much all I can tell you. And… and I guess what you choose to do now is none of my business and I probably won't be able to stop you but please believe me when I say that trying to get into the Otherworld is pretty much the same as asking for the death sentence."

She nodded in agreement and understanding.

"Are you sure you don't know any way of getting in there?"

James placed his index finger against his chin in thought for a minute.

"Well… other than actually committing a crime the only other possibility I can think of is performing some sort of ritual. I don't know one but maybe if you can find a book about the town's cult you can see if there is one. I mean, if the religion is real than the rituals and ceremonies must work as well, right?"

The thought of dabbling in that horrendous cult sent chills up her spine but she supposed it was the best way to get into that realm and the most logical. As logical as it could get when you consider exactly what she was planning on doing. She nodded and stood up.

"I guess so. Well, thank you so much for the information, Mr. Sunderland. I'll… I'll think of some way to bring Angela back, I have to."

He followed her to the door and Carol turned back to give him a firm handshake. She admitted that it was a little strange exchanging farewells with a person who had murdered their wife, even if they weren't in the right state of mind at the time but told herself that she could honestly understand how James must have felt during the years he had to care for Mary and while it didn't necessarily excuse him entirely, he did deserve some sympathy. Plus, he had someone to look after.

"I hope you find her."

He released her hand and gave a smile.

"She's lucky to have a sister like you."

Carol felt herself blush a little and wave it off.

"Thank you. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

He closed the door. Carol turned and walked towards her car, mind racing as she thought about what her next course of action should be. She was definitely going back to Silent Hill but she had to get ready first, she needed to make sure she was ready for the possibility of entering the Otherworld and having to face nightmarish beings which no sane person could even conceive of.

'_Yeah right, how do you get ready for something like that?'_

Carol didn't know and concentrated on getting her car into gear and getting herself back to her home in one piece. It wouldn't do her very good if she got into an accident before she even got to the dangerous stuff.

'_So I'm gonna need the essentials: my stun gun, pepper spray and the little gift I got myself last year. Don't worry Angela… I'm coming for you.'_


	4. Chapter 4

**Silent Hill**

**Chapter 4**

Tap-tap-tap

_Carol's eyes flickered open, wondering if what she heard was indeed real. She waited._

Tap-tap-tap-tap

_Yes, that was definitely someone at the door. With a groan, Carol rolled over to glance at her alarm clock._

_1:36 am_

"_What the hell?"_

_With an aggravated sigh, she kicked the blankets away and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, grumbling as she slipped her feet into a pair of slippers and yanked her evening gown off the headboard._

"_Past midnight and some asshole decides now would be the time to strike up a conversation."_

_She tried to make herself benevolent in her judgment; maybe the caller had a flat tire or something of the like. But why did it have to be her home? With a sigh, she exited her bedroom and strolled down the corridor, trotting down the stairs and taking a right towards the front door._

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap

"_Alright, alright, I'm coming!"_

_Muttering under her breath, she made sure the chain lock was secure before unlocking the door and creaking it open enough to peer out._

"_God, do you know what time… it…"_

_Standing on her doorstep, soaked to the bone and shivering violently, was Angela. Shocked by her sudden appearance, Carol took a moment to recover and closed the door so she could take the chain out and swing the door wide open, taking in the form of her half-sister that she hadn't seen in over two years. She had grown taller and her hair was a bit longer but she could recognize her anywhere._

"_Angela?"_

_She looked up with an expression so full of misery, pain and fear that Carol felt her heart twist. Her arms were tightly wrapped around herself and she had trouble speaking._

"_C-Carol… I… I'm sorry I… I didn't know where else to go. Y-you're t-the closest and… and I just d-don't know what to do."_

_Realizing she was standing out in the rain, Carol gently gripped her sister's arm and tugged her inside._

"_God, you must be freezing. Come on in, I'll get you some clean clothes and you can have a shower."_

_She nodded numbly and allowed Carol to lead her to the bathroom, her stare distant and focused on the floor. Carol studied her with increasingly worrying eyes as she reached up to twist the shower on, water cascading into the tub a moment later. She guided Angela over._

"_Is that too hot?"_

_Angela finally looked up and put a shaky, pale hand in the water._

"_N-no. It's fine."_

_She nodded and walked out of the bathroom, slowly shutting the door behind her._

"_I'll bring your clothes in soon."_

_Carol shut the door and travelled to her own room, deeply confused as to why Angela had shown up. She didn't see a car outside unless her parents had dropped her off or something. No, Angela was much too wet to have simply walked from the road to her doorstep. Did she walk here? Shaking her head, Carol slid her drawers open and began taking out articles of clothing. She had an extra pair of pyjamas that would probably fit Angela since her sister was smaller than her but what about underwear? With a shrug she grabbed a pair of cotton white panties and a bra and rushed back to the bathroom, it was full of steam when she entered and she noticed Angela's wet clothes sprawled out on the linoleum floor._

"_Angela? It's me; I'm putting your clothes on the sink, alright?"_

"_Yeah… yeah, okay…" Carol turned to exit the bathroom. "Thank you…"_

_She smiled though she knew Angela couldn't see her. "You're welcome."_

_She noticed Angela looked tired but she was desperate to find out the reason for her being here and also decided that she must have been hungry. Going into the kitchen and turning the lights on, she began preparing some hot food. She contemplated on what to make for a few moments before taking out a packet of macaroni and cheese from the pantry._

_-X-X-X-X-X-X-_

_Carol scooped the macaroni into a plate and set it on the table, next to a mug of warm cocoa and a fork. When that was done she took the pot back to the sink and turned the tap on. She tossed the pot into the basin and watched it fill with water. Steam rose as hot iron cooled under water. Carol waited until the water began spilling over the rim before turning the tap off and turning around. Angela stood in the kitchen doorway, the pyjamas hanging loosely on her body._

"_Hey, Angela!" Carol went over to the table and pulled a chair out. "Come sit; eat it while it's nice and hot."_

_Angela blinked slowly, watching Carol with a worrying amount of cautiousness. She crept out from under the doorway and trotted over, hugging herself. She sat down in the chair and Carol pushed it in. Angela flinched and swiftly turned with a terrified expression._

"_Hey, hey, it's okay." Carol held out her hands, brow furrowing in concern. "I'm not going to hurt you. I was just pushing your chair in."_

_Her sister seemed to relax slightly and turned back to the table, staring into the plate and macaroni. Carol walked over to the other end of the table and sat down, watching Angela intently. She still looked so pale._

"_Angela…"_

_Her sister looked up, her bangs covering her dark eyes._

"_Eat."_

_Angela snatched up the fork so fast Carol flinched back. She held the fork in her hand, motionless, for a second or two before bringing the fork down to gather a hearty amount of macaroni. Satisfied, Carol leaned back and watched her sister eat._

_Angela ate with precision and deliberate care, almost as if each noodle was packed with explosives and if she dropped one then everything would go up in flames. Carol didn't know much about her sister. When she was born she was sent to live with her mother's parents when she was two. She never got the full details but her real father left her mother when she was seven months pregnant__._

_His name had been Jonathan Riles._

_That was all she had been told._

_During that time, her mother hadn't been doing too well with money so when she was born, she was sent to live with her mother's grandparents. When she turned two, Thomas Orosco came into her mother's life and they got married. But her grandparents had grown attached to her and with the distance and general complications of moving, it was decided that Carol would stay with them._

_When she was five, Angela was born__._

_The fork clicked against the empty bowl, the sound bringing Carol out of her thoughts and back to Angela, whom had laid the utensil against the bowl and retreated into her protective shell._

"_Do you want some more?"_

_Angela shook her head._

"_Are you sure?"_

_Angela nodded._

_Carol glanced down and noticed she was fidgeting with the edge of the table cloth. She snatched her hands away and exhaled._

"_Angela… Why are you here? What happened?"_

_Her sister blinked slowly, staring at nothing._

"_Angela," She said more firmly. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's…"_

_Carol trailed off as Angela's face scrunched up and tears soon began cascading down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs and she hugged herself tighter._

"_I didn't want to… I didn't mean to, Carol. Oh god, I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to…" She blubbered, clasping her hands over her face and shaking her head._

"_Didn't mean to do what?" Carol asked, leaning over the table. This was starting to scare her now. "Angela, what didn't you mean to do?"_

"_I…" Angela shook even harder. "I killed him."_

_Carol frowned, confusion making her hesitate. "What?"_

"_I killed him."_

_Carol paled, her confusion giving way to shock. "Killed…? I don't understand; who are you talking about?"_

"_Dad!"_

_Angela yanked her hands away, her voice going up a few octaves on the 'a' of the word. Carol flinched back, half afraid that someone had heard her. After a few seconds, the effect of the words began settling in and she felt as if her skin had shrunk against her bones._

"_What? You… Angela, if you're lying to me…"_

_Her sister said nothing but the crazed and haunted look in her eyes, the way her muscles tensed and twitched at random intervals, the way her voice cracked from sheer emotion; no, she wasn't lying._

_Carol felt sick to her stomach. The feeling only continued to increase as the two sat there, staring across the table at one another, nothing but the sound of pattering rain to fill the silence._

"_I didn't…" Angela sniffled. She began shaking again. "I didn't mean to…"_

"_Angela, you…" Carol breathed in slowly and closed her eyes. "This is… Dammit, Angela, why would you…? How could you…?"_

"_It wasn't my fault! You have no idea what he's done to me!"_

_Carol opened her eyes. "Does that give you the right to kill him?"_

_She hadn't known Angela's father too well. They were on fairly good terms and despite a significant increase in the time they spent without contacting each other, they were still close. Hearing that he had been killed, by her own sister, his daughter, had left her stunned and sluggish. She didn't know how to react but she could feel the acidic tendrils of rage flowing into her limbs._

"_You have no idea what he's done to me." Angela repeated, spitting each and every word with white hot venom. "What he's been doing for ten years."_

_Carol fought the urge to vomit and strike her sister. "What… what are you talking about?"_

_Angela's jaw shook with barely contained rage and sorrow. Her fingers dug into the table cloth. "I… No one noticed. No one. For the past ten years, no one has even given any thought."_

_Her eyes locked onto Carol and a chill ran down her spine._

"_Especially you…"_

_Carol said nothing._

"_I just wanted someone to notice…" Her fingers left the cloth to dig into dark locks. "I was so scared of what he might do when he found out, what might happen to our family. So I… I just stayed quiet and hoped, hoped… that someone, that you, Carol, would notice. But you didn't… No one did."_

_She grinded her eyes into her palms, hissing her words through clenched teeth._

"_How could no one notice? Didn't they see how unhappy we were? How upset mom was? How dad drank and drank and drank? Why…" She shuddered and tears squeezed out from under her palms, leaving streaks that shone silver in the light. "Why didn't you notice, Carol? You're my sister and you never even asked."_

_Carol jumped when Angela slammed her palms back down on the table. She didn't like how her first reaction was to reach for a weapon. So she stayed and forced herself to look into her sister's hysterical eyes._

"_Why didn't you ask, Carol? I wished and wished that you would ask me how everything was when we visited each other! How could you not ask? All you did when you arrived was say hi and ask what I wanted to do! But you never asked how I was! You never asked!"_

_Carol opened and closed her mouth, speechless. "Angela… I…"_

"_He raped me."_

"_Wh…"_

"_My dad raped me! Over and over again! I didn't know what to do… I, I couldn't ask him to stop, he just hurt me. Mom couldn't do anything and when she did, he hurt her even more! I just…" She hiccupped, wiping away the mucus that began dripping from her nose. "I just wanted someone to talk to."_

_Carol felt that urge to puke rise up again. "I didn't… I didn't know."_

_Angela made a pitiful whimpering sound and sniffed noisily._

_It was amazing to even think of any father capable of doing something like that. But what would Angela have to gain by lying? God, she wanted to puke; not just from the thought of Angela having to go through that for ten years but the thought that she could have done something if she had just taken the time to observe more closely._

_But what could she have noticed? Angela had been shy and withdrawn during their visits but she had always been like that. And she was a kid, she couldn't have caught onto the things that their parents might have shown that could have tipped her off. She admitted that there were some subtle hints of the tension within the household that she noticed when she was older but she thought it was just a few marital problems._

_She always thought that that was the reason for Angela's increasing frailty when she got older, not the result of… this._

"_I'm… I don't know what to…" Carol let out a shuddering exhale. God, her hands were trembling. "We have to call the police."_

"_No!" Angela shrieked. "No, you can't!"_

"_Angela, your father's…" She swallowed. "Your father's dead. We have to do something-"_

"_But… but they'll blame me…" Her tone reminded Carol of a scared little girl whining about sleeping alone in the dark. "They'll put me away. It wasn't an accident; I knew what I was doing. I didn't… I didn't mean to but… oh god, I knew what I was doing. I can still feel his blood; I can still see it, smell it, I…"_

_Angela suddenly went green and began swallowing repeatedly._

"_I can… I…"_

_Carol ran as fast as she could to the cupboards for a bowl but it was too late. She heard Angela heave and choke just as she grabbed a large pink bowl and hurried back in time to see her floor become stained with vomit. The smell was horrendous but she bared it and guided Angela to cough up the rest into the bowl, holding her hair back._

"_Shh, shh, shh… There you go, get it all up, it's okay…"_

_Spitting out a half-digested noodle, Angela weakly grasped at Carol and pressed her face into her stomach, sobbing softly._

"_Please don't let them take me away…"_

_Carol closed her eyes shut. She should call the police._

"_I didn't mean it…"_

_She'd be harbouring a criminal._

"_Please, Carol… Please…"_

_Her life would be over if they got caught._

"_Please…"_

_She found herself stroking Angela's hair._

"_I won't tell anyone, Angela. I promise I'll take care of you. I swear."_

_Angela wept until she fell asleep to Carol's comforting whispers._

_The storm carried on through the night._


	5. Chapter 5

**Silent Hill**

**Chapter 5**

Carol's eyes flew open.

It was raining again.

The soft patter was hypnotic; she allowed herself to fall into a stupor that wasn't quite awake or asleep, watching as the shadows of the raindrops sliding down the window danced on her ceiling, the silver glow of the moon casting a cobalt hue.

'_Angela…'_

That wasn't the first time she had that dream. But no matter how many times it occurred, the guilt and empty feeling inside of her never lost their potency.

Lethargically, she glanced over at her alarm clock.

3:04 am

She had gotten an extra hour's sleep since last night.

Goody.

Sighing, Carol laid her arm over her eyes and contemplated whether or not to get up and watch TV until she fell asleep like she usually did when she had one of those dreams or futilely try to force herself to sleep.

She waited, listening to the rain.

When she looked at her alarm again it read 3:06 am.

'_Fuck it…'_

Throwing the blankets off with more force than necessary, Carol jammed her feet into her slippers and slipped on her gown. Her hand made an audible _thump_ as she hit the switch and bathed her room in light. Her eyes protested the action but she forced them to stay open as she walked down the corridor.

She passed the second bedroom.

The bed was prim and neatly made. A shelf filled with books, mostly on biology with a few fictions, gathered dust. The computer on the desk hadn't had its mouse touched in days. A pair of light blue, bunny slippers waited at the edge of the bed.

Carol stayed a second longer before walking into the kitchen.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"_-so that's when the guy says, 'Hey buddy, if you gotta die then remember it don't take no banana to get the job done.' "_

The corner of Carol's lip turned upwards in a smirk as the audience applauded and hooted their delight. The guy was pretty funny but she could never find the energy to laugh after having one of those dreams. So she took a sip of her cocoa and smirked at the next joke.

She planned to go to Silent Hill today. Originally, she was going to go onto the computer and look up the rituals but after an hour of searching she realized with frustration that all the sites were either fake or had no information about performing the rituals.

It was strange; the internet usually knew everything about anything.

She didn't have much hopes that the town had anything else or that the locals would be happy to share it if they did but it couldn't hurt to try.

Her sister's life depended on it.

"_-she says, 'And that's what everyone thinks: they're a bunch of doped-out, surfing crack-heads who can't hold down a job.' So I stare at her and say-"_

Carol had already packed what she would take. A few bags filled with various snacks and drinks were waiting in the kitchen. Her purse was sitting on the table, her pepper spray and stun gun packed in there. Her gun was still in her drawer, fully loaded. It would be the first time she would travel with it.

It was risky, of course. She may have been allowed to carry it concealed around Ashfield but she didn't know much about Silent Hill. She knew that you were allowed to go hunting but she never knew much about gun laws regarding their region. Maybe carrying a concealed weapon wasn't allowed but she would be careful.

If she was dealing with the supernatural then she wanted a bit more protection than a can of pepper spray.

She had fuelled her car up to the limit and planned out the roads she would take and where she would stop if need be.

Everything was planned out down to the last detail.

But god, she was so nervous about going to the town.

It didn't make sense; she had been to the town plenty of times without a hint of anxiety, and now, just overnight, she was having second thoughts about what she was doing. Why wouldn't she? She had already decided she believed in the paranormal just yesterday and that terrible things had happened to those who entered the town with a dark past.

Hell, Henry and Eileen didn't even qualify; their only crime was picking the wrong apartments.

Carol didn't think she had a dark past. Sure, she had done her fair share of bad things but it wasn't as if she went chainsaw massacre on a preschool for the mentally challenged. The worst thing she had ever done was made a girl back in high school cry and leave Ashfield after making one too many fat jokes.

It was a horrible thing to do but surely it wasn't that bad, right? She had even heard that the girl landed a job as a news reporter in Los Angeles.

She didn't think she had any mental problems either. Although, she did have a habit of rubbing her arms when she was anxious or worried, and that was starting to finally go away after months of self-discipline.

So she shouldn't be worried about being sucked into a nightmarish world, right?

But getting sucked into that world was what she was trying to do in the first place.

Carol moaned and hung her head.

If she ever saw Angela again, she would hug her as tightly as possible before smacking the living daylights out of her.

"_-and that's why I never went back to Seattle, because once you take that high road then there's no going-"_

The picture flickered and a brief burst of static replaced the man's voice.

"_Now, is there anyone here from San Francisco?"_

Another burst of static.

Carol narrowed her eyes.

"_-sir? Tell me, sir, what's your name?"_

"_David."_

"_David, huh? That's a good name; I was actually going to-"_

Static and the picture dissolved into a mess of grey and white.

"_-name my son that… realized that a gay friend of mine was named… I kid, though, I…"_

Good god, was the storm messing with the reception again? Disgruntled, Carol started playing with the remote, switching between channels with a set frown of annoyance.

"… _He was… Just trying to… time to bleed… I choose to… Hi, Carol…"_

She couldn't have gotten a bigger shock if a giant bird had busted down her wall screaming obscenities about her sinful life of eating poultry. Her hands went slack around the control as she stared into the static mess. The voice had not stopped, even when the remote hit the ground.

"_Hi… Carol… Hi… He's not… Why did you talk to him?..."_

There was an electronic flanging effect but she recognized the tone.

"Angela?" She whispered, hands starting to shake. This couldn't be happening. She must be still asleep. She pinched her arm. It hurt.

"_I feel so cold, Carol… He did… I… It… Silent… No… I feel so… He did… I… It… Silent… No… I feel so cold… He…"_

Carol found herself crawling towards the screen before she knew she had left the couch. Her mind was still half-convinced this was now a dream but… the radio…

"_I feel so… He did… I… It… Silent… He did… It's not cold for… is it?..."_

The light from the screen cast her face in an ethereal glow as she crept up until she was inches away. There was so much static; the words were hard to make out and faded but if she just strained hard enough…

"_Silent… Hill… Please, I need… It… Why did you go to him? Why did you go to him, Carol? You… can't trust him, he killed… You have to… to her. Please, it's so cold here. Go to… in Halesville… Halesville…"_

"Halesville?" She whimpered. She felt fear begin to fill her body. Her skin felt as if it was shrinking against her bones. "What about Halesville? Angela, where… Is this really you? Please, say something."

"_Halesville… She has to… have to bring her here. Please, before it gets too cold."_

"Angela, is this you? Please answer me! Tell me where you are!"

"_Carol… Bring her here…"_

"God, please just talk to me, Angela!" She searched the writhing mess, for what, she didn't know. "I don't understand! Where are you? Are you in Silent Hill? Is that what you're saying?"

"_Halesville… Carol, please… cold in here…"_

"What about Halesville? Dammit, Angela!" She gripped the sides of the TV, almost shaking it. "Where the hell are you? I don't understand what's going on!"

She waited for a reply. Nothing.

"Angela?"

_Hisssssst._

"No… No, wait, please! Angela, are you still there?"

"_Halesville… Go… to… Halesville. Find her. You have… to find her, Carol. It won't stop until you find her. He's bad; don't trust him. Go… Go…"_

"Find who?"

_Hissssst._

"Angela?"

_Hisssst._

"Angela, please come back. Tell me where you are."

"_Turn…"_

Carol automatically swivelled.

She almost screamed when she saw a shadow in the shape of a man quickly duck back into the corridor again.

Gasping, she fell flat on her rear, staring at the corridor. The TV now emitted nothing but static, which became a permanent background noise as she waited for the shadow to come back.

'_Shit, shit, shit! You've got to be kidding me. Stupid gun, why'd you have to be in the stupid drawer, why can't you be in my purse like the pepper spray?'_

Her heart hammered against her ribcage as she got to her feet and began creeping over to the kitchen table. She passed in front of the corridor and saw a rectangular sheet of light streaming from her room at the end.

Why didn't she turn the stupid corridor light on?

She didn't take her eyes off the corridor as she felt around inside her purse until her fingers came into contact with a sleek cylindrical object and a rough plastic covering. Pulling the objects out, Carol held the spray with her left and kept the stun gun in her left. She switched the stun gun on.

'_Okay… Okay… Okay…'_

She walked forwards.

She tried to raise her feet as opposed to sliding them across the carpet to prevent any shuffling noises but it was hard when her legs were shaking so badly. When she passed the corridor light she hesitated at switching it on, but decided that whoever was here already knew that she was in the living room so it didn't really matter. After flicking the switch and lighting up the corridor, she continued walking, pepper spray held out in front as she neared Angela's room.

After taking a few moments to hype herself up, she quickly rounded the corner of the door frame and thrust her arms forwards in case the invader was standing right there. They weren't. Even when Carol switched the light on the room remained as it was when she looked in earlier, desolate and cold.

She was about to turn her search to her room and then the bathroom when she noticed something off about the bookcase. The books on the third shelf were slightly tipped. One was missing. Carol's eyes ran over every inch of the floor surrounding the bookcase in case it might have fallen. When she saw no sign of it her gaze just so happened to roam over the bed and a flash of white caught her attention.

Stepping forwards, Carol found the book face up and spread open. A picture of a monarch butterfly nestling on a leaf was displayed on the left page while a detailed description of it and a labelled diagram was on the right.

_**Metamorphosis**__ is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some insects, amphibians, molluscs, crustaceans, Cnidarians, echinoderms and tunicates undergo metamorphosis, which is usually accompanied by a change of habitat or behavior._

_Scientific usage of the term is exclusive, and is not applied to general aspects of cell growth, including rapid growth spurts. References to "metamorphosis" in mammals are imprecise and only colloquial, but historically idealist ideas of transformation and monadology, as in Goethe's __Metamorphosis of Plants__, influenced the development of ideas of evolution._

Angela had been getting into biology when she was living with Carol. Her marks in the subject were very impressive. But what was the book doing here?

She jumped and almost sprayed the computer screen when it suddenly blinked to life, the Windows theme playing brightly. How did it turn on like that?

'_Christ, what the hell is happening around here?'_

Angela's account was already up and running, informing that an email had been received approximately five minutes ago. Carol stared dumbly at the blinking email for a minute before placing the pepper spray down on the desk and grabbing the mouse. She moved the cursor over the email and double-clicked.

It opened.

Two simple words were written on a large sheet of paper in Times New Roman, Angela's preferred font.

"_Cheryl Mason…"_

Carol frowned. Who was Cheryl Mason? She recognized the surname but the first name was a mystery. Could Cheryl be the name of Harry Mason's wife? His sister? His mother? Perhaps some illegitimate daughter?

Whatever the case one thing was clear: She had to go to Halesville and find Heather Mason.

'_I just spoke to my sister through the TV, saw some freaky-ass shadow disappear into thin air, and now I'm getting an email from her.'_

Carol groaned and rubbed her eyes.

'_Yeah, I'm definitely not getting any sleep…'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Silent Hill**

**Chapter 6**

Carol slammed the boot down and brushed an errant strand of hair from her eyes.

It was cloudy and she had a feeling it would rain again. She didn't mind much, seeing as she was going to be cooped up in a car for more than a day.

Her schedule had changed since that event in the early hours of the morning; she was now going to Halesville to find Heather Mason. As crazy as it seemed, Angela had somehow contacted her through her TV and computer. She had mixed emotions about that. Mostly, she was just greatly relieved at the knowledge that her sister was alive, but she was also worried and distraught that Angela was no doubt mixed up with the supernatural world of Silent Hill.

Angela had only just started to recover from the mental trauma she had been forced to experience for so long, and if she was trapped in such a place…

Carol set her lips in a determined grimace. No, she would find Angela and bring her back and nurse her back to health like she had for the past two years.

She owed it to her.

Carol walked towards the driver's side of the car and fumbled in her jean pockets for her keys. When her fingers brushed against cold metal, she brought the key-ring out, the two keys jingling together with every movement. She opened the door and put one leg inside when out of the corner of her eye she spotted two familiar figures.

Henry and Eileen, both of them walking in her general direction but too involved in each other to notice. They were conversing and holding hands.

"Oh, fancy seeing you two here." She said, taking her leg out from the car. The two glanced up sharply in surprise.

Eileen recovered first and smiled warmly. "Carol, hi! You live here?"

"Yeah," She nodded to her house as the two made their way over. "It's close to work and the theatre's just a short walk away."

"We just came from there actually." Eileen said. "We went to watch The Bourne Identity but we never got to see the end of it."

"Eileen's fault." Henry explained. "She got into a fight with one of the audience members."

"She was talking on her phone for five full minutes!" Eileen protested. "What was I supposed to do?"

"She was seventeen, Eileen."

"Which means she was old enough to understand to not talk when a freakin' movie's playing."

The two seemed to remember that Carol was standing there and flushed. Carol resisted the urge to squeal at how cute of a couple they made.

"Sorry…" They both simultaneously said.

She waved the apology off. "No, no, it's fine; I can understand that feeling."

The two relaxed before Eileen gestured to her car. "So… you're going somewhere?" Her tone suggested she had an idea where Carol was going already.

"Yeah, I'm actually… going to be gone for a while. A day or two, a week at the most. I'm going to Silent Hill."

They looked appropriately nervous at that claim. "Are you really sure you want to do this?" Henry asked. "I mean, I haven't really had anything happen to me whenever I went there but after what happened in my apartment I don't think I'm going to go there ever again."

"Ditto." Eileen said simply.

Carol gave a slow nod and sighed. "Well, to be honest, I'm a little… tense. But if my sister's there, then I have to find her."

She _knew_ her sister was there but she didn't feel comfortable telling them about her paranormal experience. True, they had experienced worse and would probably believe her but it was less about that and more that she didn't want to burden them with her problems. They had enough to deal with; with their horrific experiences, the current stress of moving, and their new relationship if her women's intuition had anything to say about their body language and closeness.

"You're really brave, you know that?" Eileen said brightly. "I never had a sister but if I did then I'd want her to be like you."

Carol flushed deeply and stared at her feet. "Well, I owe it to her. She's helped me so much over the years. I promised I'd always be there for her and I intend to keep that promise."

"Well if there's anything you need…" Henry offered.

She smiled and shook her head. "Thanks but I think I've got it from here. If it all goes to plan then I'll be back by the end of this month and with Angela by my side."

"We'll be rooting for you the entire way, that's for sure." Eileen said confidently.

"Thanks," Carol moved to get inside her car again. "I hope everything works out for you, too. Good luck finding a new apartment." She closed the door and rolled the window down. "And don't let that one get away." She aimed that part at Eileen.

Henry looked mildly perplexed but Eileen blushed and nodded. "Don't worry I won't."

Carol started her car and pulled out into traffic, honking the horn in farewell as Henry and Eileen waved goodbye. She watched them in the rear mirror as they turned and began walking away, settling into private conversation once again.

Her heart flared as she watched them go. Such a cute couple they made.

She quickly adjusted the mirror as she came to a stop. That done, she gripped the steering wheel and took a deep breath. She wasn't feeling invulnerable but she certainly felt confident as she stared out at the road, a map at her side and sunglasses in her breast pocket.

"Alright, Angela…" She pressed her foot against the accelerator when the light turned green. "Here I come."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Carol had always felt a pleasant serenity overcome her whenever she went on long drives. Whether it was the time to think, the sight of changing scenery passing by or the gentle throb of the engine, she always felt at her best when she was inside a car for more than a period of ten minutes.

The high rise buildings and street signs had stopped roughly five minutes ago and gave way to rolling hills and greenery that was occasionally broken by the odd house or two. The sky was still cloudy but the patches of blue had grown since she left and streaks of sunshine bathed the landscape. It was so peaceful. She felt relaxed yet alert; it was an invigorating sensation and she sank into her seat with a content exhale.

Halesville was a five-hour drive from Ashfield so when she got there it would be about two in the afternoon, meaning that she would have to make a stop at one of the hotels on the way to Silent Hill unless she wanted to arrive at the town at night.

Which she didn't want.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Carol slowed to a stop as the duck waddled across the road, the rest of her ducklings following suite.

"Awww…" She couldn't help but exclaim as the tiny fluffy, yellow creatures made their way across the concrete and towards a nearby stream.

One of the ducklings stopped for a moment to clean its feathers. The mother and its brothers and sisters reached the edge of the stream before the mother noticed one was missing. She looked back and gave a loud quack, to which the duckling responded by abruptly stopping its grooming and hurrying along.

The duckling waddled into the stream and its mother followed, ruffling her tail feathers as they floated down the gentle current.

Carol smiled and drove on.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The fork at the end of the road plagued her for at least several minutes as she attempted to find the blasted thing on the map.

She kept one finger on the road she took while her other hand held her Twinkie. Her brow furrowed in concentration.

'_So I took a right… then a left… then another left… then two right turns… so that means I have to take… the… right one, no, wait, the left one!'_

Grinning triumphantly, Carol guided her car down the left side.

Half hidden behind a large tree was a road sign which simply said, 'Halesville' and pointed down the left side.

Carol scowled at it as she went by.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Eventually, the rolling hills changed back into buildings and urban structures. The slightly-past-noon sun was high in the sky but blocked by grey clouds that had swarmed back in as she got closer to Halesville.

The streets were oddly devoid of vehicles, and the sidewalks were equally as empty. It was a change from the busy life of Ashfield; Carol found it to be quite appealing. She didn't know where the Mason residence was so she had to drive around for a bit before finding a mechanic. An elderly man wearing grease-stained overalls looked up from the open bonnet of a truck as she pulled in.

"Hello there," He greeted, wiping his hands on a dirty rag. "Now I just know you're not from around here."

She frowned as she rolled down the window. "What makes you say that?"

"My memory ain't what it used to be but I've just about fixed every car in this town and I never forget which cars I've worked on. Your car doesn't ring a bell."

"Well, you got that right. I just came in from Ashfield."

"Ashfield…" He smiled, seeming to remember something fondly. "Ah, I used to always go there back in my youth. I swear, best ribs in the state."

"They are pretty nice." She agreed. She then picked up the map and held it out so he could see. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know where the Masons live, would you?"

The man squinted at the map, nodding. "The Masons? Oh yeah, I remember their car. They moved into town about…" He narrowed his eyes. "I reckon eighteen years ago, maybe less. Harry was his name, and his daughter, Heather. That man drove a mustang when she was just a little ankle-biter, a real classic, made in 199… 1, I believe."

She nodded, excitedly. "So you know where they live?"

He didn't seem to hear and continued with a warm look in his eyes.

"V-8 engine, manual transmission. Had a lot of leather, I believe. Yes, that car was a sure beauty. But Harry didn't think it would be a very safe vehicle to drive in with a child so he sold it and got himself a Jetta." He chuckled. "Oh, God rest that man's soul."

He seemed to remember she was there and sighed.

"Sorry, ma'am, lost myself there for a minute. Now, let's take a look here…" He studied the map for a few seconds before pointing a dirty finger at a location. "That's where they used to live. His daughter still lives there but I'll tell you now, she doesn't want to talk to anyone. A few of the folks around here tried to go over and offer their condolences but she told them to, uh… 'freg' off, I believe."

"Thank you," She took the map back and started the car again. "You've been very helpful."

He shrugged. "Think nothing of it. You have a lovely day now, you hear?"

She waved as she pulled out, the man going back to the truck to continue his work.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Carol had to knock on one of the other tenant's doors to know exactly which room was the Mason residence. The tenant in question, a woman carrying a gurgling infant, was sympathetic to 'the poor girl's' plight, saying that while she had always been a loner, she was now even more so.

After thanking the woman, Carol made her way to apartment room 102 and knocked on the door.

She waited.

Frowning, she tapped her knuckles against the wood again, louder and longer this time.

And waited.

"Hello?!" She called, knocking again. "Heather Mason?"

Carol tapped her foot for a lengthy amount of time.

"I really need to talk to you!" She shouted without bothering to knock. "It's important!"

Maybe she wasn't here. Heather had to be eighteen, teenagers usually spent the majority of their lives at the mall or out with friends. But, there was also a majority of teenagers who were also loners and spent their lives inside all day.

"My name's Carol Gates!" No answer. "I… My sister went missing when she went to Silent Hill, and I need your help!"

God, what if she was just shouting at a door?

What if Heather was home and just thought she was some insane person?

"I heard about your father! I'm sorry for your loss. You said that the answer to finding his murderer was in Silent Hill. What did you mean by that?"

More silence.

Carol rolled her eyes.

"Go away!"

She stepped back, shocked.

"Heather?"

"I said go away!" She sounded as if she was right behind the door. "God, can't you all take a hint and leave me the hell alone?"

"Look, I'm sorry for bothering you but this is important." Carol replied, pausing for a moment. "My sister's missing and I think she's in Silent Hill."

"Well, and this is just a thought, how about you try and go to Silent Hill." The sarcastic lilt of her tone made Carol scowl venomously.

"The police have searched everywhere, they can't find her. I think she may be involved with the Order."

Heather didn't reply. She continued.

"Look, I don't know what happened to you but I think I can safely say that it involved the Order, am I right?"

No reply.

"Heather, I know things are rough for you right now-"

"You don't know anything about me! I just lost my father, and everyone keeps saying how sorry they are and how I should talk about it, when all I want is to be left alone!"

Carol sighed. "I know you're upset right now but I could use your help. My sister's involved with the Order and-"

"Well why the hell would you come to me? How do you even know about the… Wait a minute, are you one of them?"

"What? No!"

"Get the hell out of here!"

"I know because I looked into it." Carol tried to get her voice to remain steady and calm. Teenagers didn't usually respond well to being yelled at by someone older than them. She knew she didn't. "I… Have you heard about that Walter Sullivan case in Ashfield?"

"Yeah…"

"Well there's a man named Henry Townshend who had an encounter with him about two weeks ago."

"You're lying." Obviously Heather knew about 'Walter's' suicide in prison.

"I'm not. Walter was involved with the Order; he was raised at the Wish House orphanage in the woods on the outskirts of Silent Hill. He was taught about the sect of the Holy Mother and almost killed twenty one people if Henry hadn't stopped him. I met with him and he told me all of this. I know he wasn't lying, Heather; it makes the most sense out of all the other theories of his disappearance and hospitalization."

The teenager didn't answer, so Carol continued.

"Then when I asked him about seeing my sister he said that I should talk to Frank Sunderland and ask about his son, who just came back from Silent Hill."

She reminded herself not to say anything about James' wife's true fate.

"His son's wife died a few years earlier due to a terminal illness and he was in grief over it ever since. Then when he went to Silent Hill he was sucked into some… paranormal world where all his inner demons were manifested into physical beings."

"Physical…?" Heather whispered. She barely heard it but she did.

"You know it, too?" She didn't answer but Carol knew that she hit something on the mark. "Angela… she had problems, too. I think… I think she might have been sucked into that world."

Another long stretch of silence.

"Angela… I… This is going to sound weird but… Angela contacted me through my TV last night. She said to go to Halesville to find Cheryl Mason."

There was a soft clicking noise and Carol stepped back as the door swung open, revealing a blonde teenager who looked like she needed a good night's sleep. Heather studied Carol with intense brown eyes.

"Well… you found her." She sighed and ran a hand through her scraggly hair. "Come on in I guess."


	7. Chapter 7

**Silent Hill**

**Chapter 7**

The apartment was less impressive than hers, in Carol's opinion, but it was still rather comfy. Heather led her into the living room where she took a seat at the dining table. Carol took the other seat and sat down awkwardly, shifting her purse on her shoulder.

Heather's hair was a dirty blonde and her eyes a deep chestnut hazel. She must have dyed it or something; the rarity of such a gene combination was fairly high. Despite the blemishes on her cheeks, the dark rings around her eyes and the scowl etched on her features, she was very pretty. She wore an orange sleeveless turtleneck and a green denim skirt. Her feet were bare and two orange wristbands and a watch adorned her arms.

"So…" The teenager tapped her fingers on the table, avoiding eye contact. "Your sister contacted you through the TV, huh?"

Carol nodded. "I know it must sound weird…"

"I believe you."

"You do?" She raised an eyebrow.

Heather gave the tiniest of nods. "I've seen weirder stuff."

Carol waited for Heather to elaborate but the teenager merely continued avoiding eye contact and tapping her fingers.

"Oh… Okay." She bit her bottom lip and let go, clearing her throat afterwards. "So… Angela said to go to Portland and find Cheryl Mason. And you're telling me you're her?"

"Yup…" Heather stopped tapping her fingers and rested both arms on the table, staring at an old coffee stain. "It's… It's kind of a long story."

"I don't mind."

"I do."

"Oh…"

Heather sighed loudly, a strand of hair floating up from her eyes in the gust before settling back as the sigh died off.

"Eighteen years ago my dad went to Silent Hill with his daughter, Cheryl. He got trapped inside… that world because Cheryl was actually the other half of a girl named Alessa's soul. Alessa was the daughter of Dahlia Gillespie, who was some big priestess in the Order. Anyway, she offered her daughter as a sacrifice in some ritual to speed along the coming of their God, so that it could judge the world and take all the 'good' people to some Paradise."

Brown eyes met hers.

"Am I going too fast for you?"

Carol shook her head, blinking slowly. "No… I think I got it… so far."

"So yeah, the ritual was interrupted by a guy…" Her eyes narrowed. "A guy… A guy named…" She closed her eyes and thought deeply. "Shit… I don't remember. But the point is that some guy interrupted the ritual but it succeeded. Alessa became pregnant with God."

"Pregnant…"

"With God, yeah."

Carol blinked. "I see. So… this means God…"

"I really do not know if it's actually… God God." Heather said. "But it's definitely something Cthulu-looking."

"Wow…"

Heather made brief eye contact, a smile slipping across her face. "Yeah, it's like something Stephen King would think of, huh?"

She looked back down, her smile slipping away.

"Anyway, Alessa got the guy who saved her to make some artefact thing that would trap the evil inside of her. He did it and she split her soul in half to make sure the ritual wouldn't be completed. That half of her soul manifested into a baby which the guy left on the side of the road to be found by my dad. He was the one who named her Cheryl."

Her eyes moistened momentarily before becoming steely again.

"Seven years later, Dahlia managed to get Alessa to call back Cheryl so they could complete the ritual. They almost did it, too, but my dad stopped them. He defeated the thing that was inside Alessa and saved her. She appeared to him again, with another baby, this one was a combination of Alessa and Cheryl's soul, if that makes…"

Heather shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Of course it doesn't make sense, but the main thing is, is that baby was me. I'm Cheryl Mason. My… My dad explained it better. He wrote it down; it's in my room somewhere. I'll let you look at it later if you want."

Carol could only blink and let the information roll around in her head for quite a while. She couldn't imagine how brave Harry must have been to actually go toe to toe with some eldritch abomination let alone win against one.

And here she was conversing with whom had been the technical mother of the apocalypse.

"Doesn't end there though," Heather continued. "Three weeks ago, things started to change. I was at the mall when the monsters started appearing. A woman named Claudia Wolf…" She practically spat the name. "Was there. She hired a detective, Douglas, to find me so she could start a ritual that would make me birth God. She kept calling me Alessa… which I… I guess is true in a way."

She suddenly slammed her palm down on the table. Carol jumped.

"But I'm _not_ Alessa!" Her eyes were ablaze with fury. She looked rather manic. "I'm Heather Mason. I thought I wanted to be Cheryl but I can't be her, I can't be my dad's other daughter, I'm my own person!"

Carol remained still as Heather maintained intense eye contact until finally calming down and looking away. Her hand slid from the table to rest in her lap.

"Sorry, sorry… I'm just a little tired."

Carol nodded.

"Claudia… She told me all this cryptic… bullshit when I first met her and then this ringing noise filled my head. It was like having the worst hangover ever and trying to cure it by bashing your head against the wall. When it went away and I could think again, she was gone. I made my way through the mall, the subway, and even the friggin' sewers trying to get home. I thought… I thought that once I find my dad everything would be alright. He was always protecting me… I thought he could do it…"

Her hands began to tremble and she tried to hide it by fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

"But when I got home he was dead. Dead. Right… right in his favourite chair." She pointed at the piece of furniture like it had committed the murder. A worn armchair that looked to have been recently scrubbed raw. "That… bitch, Claudia… She didn't do it herself. No, no, no, she got her little pet to do it! I met her on the rooftop and I killed the thing. Then came back down here to find Douglas. He… he wanted to help. He thought that he was doing the right thing finding me. Claudia told him that I had been taken away from my true home. But it was bullshit! This is… This _was_ my home! My home!"

Once again the table shook as she slammed both her palms down and shot up, knocking her chair back and striding away. She took a few steps before coming to a halt, one hand on her hip the other cradling her forehead.

Carol remained seated. She felt for this girl, she really did, but she didn't like the manic and enraged gleam in her eyes throughout her rant and feared injury should she attempt physical comfort.

Heather remained in that position for a long time. Seconds turned into awkward minutes before she released a shaky sigh and let her arms go slack at her sides.

"I went to Silent Hill… to get revenge. And I never got it. I almost gave birth to that thing but my dad saved me. Even in death he was still looking out for me." She laughed a humourless laugh. "It was aglaophotis; a liquid taken from the plant of the same name, grown in Arabian deserts. It has the power to dispel evil spirits and protect the user from evil forces. Dad had a sample of it and he put it in my pendant."

A gleam of light caught Carol's attention. In Heather's right hand was a beautiful silver pendant, spherical in shape and attached to a small chain that looped around Heather's neck.

"I took it out and swallowed it. I… I… Well, I puked up some foetus thing that was supposed to be God. Should have seen the look on Claudia's face when she saw it. Even better was the look on her face when she ate it."

"She… ate it?" Carol felt her stomach churn. "What sort of sicko eats the unborn foetus of their god?"

"Claudia. She was crazy but…" Heather turned back, her features suddenly soft. "She suffered a lot in her life. Her father was cruel to her; he beat her, ridiculed her… The only friend she had was Alessa; they went to the same school together, studied together, and prayed together. They dreamt of a world where no suffering exists and where they could finally be happy. Claudia wanted that not only for herself but for Alessa, her best friend. She even told me before she died that her methods were extreme but… she felt as if there was no other choice."

As quickly as it went, the dark look came back and her hand clenched over the pendant.

"But she died! She ate the thing and gave birth instead of me! God had been born… it was ugly and really retarded-looking. I think the aglaophotis and the fact that Claudia wasn't the chosen one weakened it because I managed to kill it."

"You killed God, too?"

Heather shrugged. "It was already weakened. I don't think it was much of a god if it could be taken out by a human."

Her hand around the pendant unclenched and allowed the accessory to fall back to dangle over her turtleneck. Releasing a weary sigh, Heather walked back and set the chair back to sit down heavily.

"And… that's it. There was a guy named Vincent who was also a priest of the Order but he wasn't as fanatical as Claudia. She even killed him when he turned his back on her. Douglas went with me to Silent Hill to help search but he met up with Claudia and she broke his leg. Not sure how, though. He said that she sort of narrowed her eyes and a sudden pressure twisted his leg. Alessa had psychic powers… maybe Claudia did, too. He comes by from time to time but I tell him not to bother anymore. He's got his own life to worry about."

Carol allowed this information to sink in. It was just as disturbing and frightening as Henry's if not more. Here she was sitting with someone whose father had killed a god, and then did so themselves. Someone whom had been carrying something absolutely Lovecraftian and lived to tell about it.

She suddenly felt insignificant. Which was rather embarrassing considering the fact that Heather was several years her junior and quite short.

"Well that was certainly…" What would be a proper word for what she had just learned? "Enlightening."

Heather raised an eyebrow. "Right… So I told you my story, what's yours, why do you need my help?"

Carol nodded. "Okay. My sister went missing about three months ago. She… She's had a difficult childhood and ran away from home when she was seventeen. She's been living with me ever since. But… then we… we sort of got into a fight, and I said some things I shouldn't have. She ran away, saying that she needed to get away from it all. I shouldn't have let her go but I was angry at the time. It wasn't until the next day did I regain my senses and tried to call her. She never picked up."

"And you think she might be in Silent Hill. The other Silent Hill?"

"Yeah…" She gave a single nod. "I do."

Heather thought for a moment. "Why would she end up there? I've met plenty of people who go to Silent Hill and they never have any problems."

"I heard… Frank's son, James, told me that he saw Angela there. He said that she was trapped in her own personal nightmare. Silent Hill manifested her demons, too, it must have. It must be why no one can find her; she's trapped in that world."

The teen looked down at the table, the corner of her lip curving down in thought. "Are you sure? What if she just drowned herself in Toluca Lake or something?"

Carol shook her head. "I heard her. She contacted me last night, remember?"

"Maybe it was her ghost."

She reeled back, the thought sending chills down her spine.

"Or maybe you're going crazy."

It took a few moments for Carol's voice to work and even then she could only utter a few words.

"I… No, no, I'm not crazy I… She contacted me and… I…" She looked down, clenching her hands. "No, she's alive, I know it! She wouldn't kill herself…"

She stopped.

Angela would kill herself if she was pushed far enough. And Carol acknowledged, for the first time, the distinct possibility that that argument might have just done that.

Had she driven her sister to suicide?

Her stomach churned.

She groaned and braced herself against the table.

"Uh, hey, whoa…" Heather's chair scraped against the floor as she hurriedly stood. "You okay?"

The majority of her mind was still firmly set that Angela was still alive but even that little inkling, that tiny part of her mind that said that maybe she was simply going crazy and hearing things was enough to make her world spin.

'_Goddammit, no! That's not true; Angela's alive, I'd know if she was dead!'_

'_How would you know?'_

'_I just would, okay?!'_

'_No, you wouldn't know. You'd have no idea of knowing if Angela was alive or dead, only visual confirmation can solve this.'_

"_That's why I'm going to Silent Hill. To find out once and for all. But I know she's alive… She has to be or…'_

When Carol felt well enough to raise her head, Heather was still standing, hands splayed in front as if to ward off any sudden projectile vomit. She was a little insulted she wasn't offered a glass of water.

"You okay now?"

"Yeah… Yeah…"

"You're not gonna blow once I sit back down, right?"

This time she couldn't hold back the venom in her veins. "No, I wouldn't want to stain such a lovely top. I think I'd rather puke inside my mouth and swallow it again."

Heather's eyes flashed but she sat down, crossing her arms and looking away again. "Thing… more than… yours…"

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing." She flashed an innocent smile.

Sensing the tension in the room starting to increase, Carol attempted to divert the conversation back to the original topic.

"I… I don't know if she's still alive but it's killing me not knowing. If she's not alive then… I guess I'll have to accept that. But if there's a chance that she's inside that world then I'm going to find her."

She inhaled deeply.

"The reason I came here was because my sister asked me to find you. For what reason, I don't know but… I'm asking if… Well, if-"

"You want me to go with you?" Heather actually smiled, as if anticipating a joke. "Are you insane?"

Carol bit her bottom lip.

"Holy shit, you're serious."

"Heather, I-"

"You know what? Never mind, I've told you way too much already." She shook her head, disbelieving. "Look, I'm really sorry for yours sister and everything but I am not going back into that world."

Carol didn't answer. She knew it wasn't fair. She knew Heather had every reason to deny her unspoken request. But she still got angry.

"She's my sister…"

"Exactly! She's your responsibility!"

Heather, once again, shot to her feet.

"I told you my story; you know what I've lost! That place almost drove me insane. I… I can't go back there, I'm sorry."

"But Angela told me to find you." She replied through clenched teeth. "What if she's being held captive by something? What'll happen if I go to Silent Hill without you?"

Disgust and rage filled Heather's face. "So what, I'm some bargaining chip to you? A trade, me for your sister, is that it? Man, get fucked. I don't even know you; I don't owe you anything."

It was horrible of Carol to even think of using another person like that. The worst part was that she actually thought of that possibility a few hours after being contacted by Angela. She even considered it.

But what right did she have for trading another person for someone else's life? No right, that's what. She had no right. Heather was in the right here and it was making her angry.

She wanted her sister back.

Her thoughts strayed to the gun in her purse and her stomach clenched again.

God, what the hell was she thinking?

"Fine."

She stood, partly because she was pissed, partly because she knew she didn't have the guts or heart to do what she had thought of doing, and partly because she was horrified that she would even think of doing such a thing. Carol met Heather's eyes, coldly.

"I'll let myself out. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

Heather said nothing as Carol turned and walked towards the door.

When her hand grasped the door knob, she heard an anguished cry.

"Jesus, I can't help you! Stop making me feel bad!"

Carol turned her head sharply. "I'm not trying to do anything other than leave! I understand, okay?" She inhaled through her nostrils and closed her eyes. "I… I understand. It was wrong of me to ask that much of you, I know that now."

She remained in that position for some time. When she opened her eyes again, Heather was staring at her, looking horribly indecisive.

"It's just… She's my sister. I love her. When you think of someone you love being in danger and then you're given a chance to save them… you'd do anything to do so, right?"

Heather remained silent. Carol didn't take much notice of the way her face went pale and her fists squeezed tighter.

"Look, I'm not trying to guilt-trip you, and if I am then I'm sorry. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I came her looking for help but it was selfish of me; this is my problem and I'll deal with it. You had to deal with yours alone, and you're barely an adult. I have to do the same, it'd be wrong to drag anyone else into this."

Honestly, she wished she had someone to go with her. She had felt confident when she left but after hearing Heather's story she just felt nervous and queasy. She was truly surprised she had enough courage to even continue her search for Angela, despite having a fair idea of how much paranormal shit she'd have to get into to do so.

She didn't want to do it alone.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you." She turned back to the door and opened it. She stood in the doorway for another moment. "And I'm sorry about your father. He sounded like a great man."

"Yeah…" Heather whispered just as she stepped out into the hallway and started closing the door. "He was…"

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Carol fought the urge to cry as she started her car.

She had found Cheryl Mason, just as her sister had asked, and she thought that she could convince her to come to Silent Hill but that seemed very unlikely now. Technically, Angela didn't ask to bring Heather to Silent Hill, just go to Portland and find her.

But why would her sister ask such a thing unless she wanted her to bring the teen to the town? Maybe she was sent to get some more information about just what she was getting into.

Or maybe those people from the Order were somehow forcing Angela to get her to bring Heather to Silent Hill so they could have their 'chosen' one again.

Her blood boiled at the thought of someone using her sister and herself like that.

Whatever the reason though, she still had to find Angela, and neither failure to bring Heather to the town or fear was going to stop her.

Her foot pressed down on the accelerator and she drove out onto the deserted road.

"Carol, wait!" The shrill cry could be heard over the engine, and Carol glanced at her rear view mirror in surprise.

Heather was chasing after the car, jumping up and down and waving her arms frantically.

Carol slowed to a stop and wound the window down just as Heather caught up. Her face was red and flushed from exertion, her blonde hair dishevelled from the wind.

"Yes?"

Heather rolled her eyes even as she panted. "Not trying to guilt-trip me, you were practically on your knees back there."

Carol flinched. "Heather, I really mean it, you don't have to come if you don't-"

"You were right though." She gripped the pendant, eyes hard and determined. "If you get the chance to save someone you love, you have to take it."

She frowned, confused. "What do you…?"

"I'll explain later. Let me just grab a few things from my apartment and then we can go… or do I have to walk?"

"Just…" She shook her head but was unable to stop the ecstatic smile from slipping onto her face. "Just hurry up, will you?"

Heather grinned back cheekily. "I'm a seventeen year old girl; hurrying up is kinda impossible for me."

She ran off before Carol could think of a comeback.

But she didn't mind.

She just kept on smiling.


End file.
